Last year, all eyes were on Prince William and Kate Middleton as millions of viewers tuned in to watch the royal couple tie the knot in a ceremony fit for, well, a king. This year, it’s all about Her Majesty the Queen, as she prepares to mark her 60-year reign with a four-day celebration.

Front and center at the festivities will be CNN’s Piers Morgan, who is set to anchor the network’s coverage of Queen Elizabeth’s Diamond Jubilee.

Morgan, 47, talked to PARADE about why Americans are so fascinated with the royal family, what he’s come to love most about the United States, and the pressures that come with hosting a nightly talk show.

On his coverage of the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee. “It’s a great honor for me because I’m a loyal British subject. I was born in England, and I’ve had the Queen in my life for 47 years. She’s quite a remarkable woman. She’s probably the most famous woman on the planet. It’s an extraordinary achievement to get to 60 years, and I hope to reflect that in CNN’s coverage. No one in America will have ever seen anything quite like this. It’s going to be amazing.”

On America’s fascination with the royal family. “I think it’s because you don’t have a royal family. You have the first family, but the president can only rule for eight years. However beloved they are, after eight years, that’s your lot! We’ve had this extraordinary family for centuries. What I’ve been struck by since I’ve been on CNN, is that Americans are very fond of the royal family and particularly of the Queen, and that’s why I’m excited about doing this. I helped cover the royal wedding of William and Kate last year, and I remember even Anderson Cooper, who has been in every war zone in the world, said it was pretty amazing. The thing that Brits do better than anybody in the world is pomp and pageantry. It’s going to be an extraordinary four days in the history of modern Britain.”

On the future of the monarchy. “Charles is a very misunderstood guy, and I think he’ll make a great king. Despite what Americans may think, Charles will definitely be the next king unless he dies before the Queen. They absolutely believe in natural succession. And then I think William will be king in 30 years and be a remarkable king. I think they’re all extraordinary given the amount of pressure and attention on them. William and Kate are probably the biggest stars in the world now. They get more magazine covers in America than Brad and Angelina, and I think that’s a testament to the star power of the royals. Everybody thought it may have ended when Diana died, but I always believed William and Harry would continue to shine a great light on the royal family.” On his friendship with the late Princess Diana. “I remember having an extraordinary lunch with Diana and Prince William when he was just 13 years old. It was just the three of us. Paul Burrell, who is the famous royal butler, served lunch at the Kensington Palace, and I had two hours of Diana and William. It was a unique experience. After that, Diana used to ring me up about stories and we would have a laugh and talk about her crazy life.”

On what he loves most about living in America. “You can come to America from anywhere in the world and be accepted. In America, people judge you at face value. There’s a really great work ethic here. Americans believe in working hard, looking after your family, and trying to look after other people. And if you’re successful, you celebrate that. There’s a lot of cynicism about success in Britain. We come from a country where our humor is based off building people up and knocking people down and being sarcastic and cynical. Americans tend to be very positive people, very caring people, people that you can rely on. It’s a place where if you work hard and make the best of your abilities, you can be really successful and people will respect you for that. It’s what made America.”

On his reality TV show beginnings as a judge on America’s Got Talent and the first-ever winner of Celebrity Apprentice. “I saw Howard Stern in my old seat on America’s Got Talent, which was quite funny to watch. I thought he was good. The show is a great snapshot of American culture and the sort of show the whole family can sit down and watch. I have a lot of affection for America’s Got Talent and Celebrity Apprentice. I wouldn’t be doing the CNN job without Donald Trump, who chose me as the winner. I thoroughly enjoyed that show, even though it was a month of pure hell to make! I’m proud to call Donald a friend of mine now. He’s been incredibly supportive ever since I won that show and I think that’s a testament to his loyalty.”

On his most memorable interviews on Piers Morgan Tonight. “One of the more extraordinary interviews I’ve done recently was with the Dalai Lama. He’s somebody who has a completely different lifestyle compared to all of us. He doesn’t use computers or cell phones, he doesn’t watch television or movies, he doesn’t even listen to music. He lives in this extraordinary world. I found him an inspiring and uplifting character. He’s 75, he looks extremely fit, and he seems very happy. A lot of celebrities I meet don’t realize just how lucky they are and how all the material things that come with celebrity status are really meaningless unless you have love in your life and happiness.” On the pressure that comes with the gig. “You just have to accept that it never stops. It’s a very relentless pace. You have to go with the flow. It’s like being in a choppy ocean. The waves keep coming, so you might as well learn to ride them as skillfully as you can.”

On how he spends his spare time. “I just hang out with my three sons and my little baby daughter. It’s just the simple things — to get away from all the craziness and madness of a nightly show on CNN! There’s no soccer at the moment, so I can’t watch my beloved Arsenal, but I’ll catch some cricket. Cricket is always completely mystifying to Americans, but its something I have a great passion for.”

This weekend,, the UK’s Queen Elizabeth II marks her Diamond Jubilee year with a series of parties and pageants. CNN’s Piers Morgan and Brooke Baldwin will be there on June 3rd and June 5th to follow the festivities. Join them at the following times: